Building block



Dec. 29, 19

v. E. ROWLAND BUILDING BLOCK Filed Jan. 19, 1925 IA/ VE N TOR Li 1/ f, Hon/LAND srL ' ATTORNEY Patented Dec. 29, 1925,

VALSY E. ROIVLANIJ, OF

INDIANAPOLIS, INDIANA.

BUILDING BLOCK.

Application filed January To ZZ whom e't may concern:

Be it known that I, VALsv Row AND, a citizen of the United States, residing at Indianapolis, in the county of Marion and State of Indiana, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in a Building Block, of which the following is a speciiica tion, referenie being had therein to the accompanying drawing.

This invention relates to whatmay be broadly termed a builting block, but more specifically defined as a hollow pre-cast tile ready for immediate installation in a wall structure.

The object of the invention is to generally improve upon prior patented and marketed tiles of this class by providing one which is structurally different and advantageous over any tile known to me at this time.

The characterizing features, derived from the inventive conception and structure employed for carrying it into effect, will be pointed out during and after the catalogue or detail description.

In the accompanying drawings forming a part of this specification and in which like reference characters are employed to designate like parts throughout the same:

Fig. l is a perspective view of a hollow tile constructed in accordance with the pres ent invention.

Fig. 2 is a longitudinal section taken on the plane of the line 2-2 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a top plan view showing, in dotted lines, the approximate maner in which the improved tiles will be associated in a wall construction.

Although the following description may suggest it, it is to be understood that the novelty of the present invention resides solely in the tile structure per se.

By referring to the drawings in detail, it will be observed that the character l is our ployed to indicate, in a general way, the preast tile as a whole. In practice, the improved article will be made from appropri ate material such as concrete, burned shale, clay, or stucco. In shape it may be substan tially rectangular as shown, or of any other suitable configuration, the material and shape being practically imn'iaterial so far as the novelty of the device is concerned. I might also mention that these tiles will vary in size, some being complete and others be- 19, 1925. Serial No. 3,374.

ing half-size according to the position occupied in the make up of a wall.

As already stated, the tile or block is of hollow form, and in the present instance i t provided with internal intersecting webs or partitions f2 and 3 dividing it into elongated cells t and 5, the former being the outer pair and the last named, number 5, being the inner pair. It will be noted that these webs are connected to the centers of the adjacent end and side walls thru the medium of reinforcing ribs 6. This arrange ment makes for great strength and rigidity. Also, by so casting the tile, the side and end walls thereof may be somewhat reduced in thickness without fear of loss of strength in a block of a predetermined size. As will be observed later, these reinforcing ribs 6 serve an additional useful function.

Attention is now directed to the endconstruction of the block. Inasmuch as each end is identical, the descriptive matter will appear, for the present, in the singular. To this end, the end wall is equipped with two vertical channels or grooves 7, these being spaced inwardly from the front and rear faces or walls of the body portion. Thus, between the channels, is an intervening protuberance forming what may be conveniently designated as an abutment 8. This abutment is intended to bear against a complemental one on a neighbor tile as indicated in Fig. 3. The outer walls of the channels form flanges 9, and it will be clear from a consideration of Fig. 3 that the free. ends or edges of these flanges terminate on a plane with each other but inwardly of a line defining the plane upon which the contact surface of the so-called abutment terminates, In other words, the flanges are shorter than the thickness of the abuti'nent. Hence, when the tiles are arranged end to end, the abut nieuts bear against each other but the flanges 9 are spaced from each other.

Noting now the relation of the a lures-aid ribs 6 to the central portions of the front and rear "ails of the block and the end abu inents, it will be seen that a desirable means is provided to accommodate T-shapcd key-- ways 10 and 11, the ways It) being in the ends and the ways 11 in. the front and rear walls. The relatively narrow entrances to the keyways are in alinement with the :ilready described webs 2 and. 3, and the right.

Structure utilized for carrying it out. First,

the provision of the'intersecting webs provides pairs of inner and outer cells. In practice, the outer pair may be filled with cement, this being the load bearing side and thereby being braced to withstand added weight of a facing wall. Second, there is the provision of the opposed pairs of socalled keyways making the tile reversible and usable fromeither side. The cells on the inner side may be left unfilled to serve as dead air spaces' Further, the'particular end construction ofthe tile is advantageous because of the new tie feature, and means for spacing the ends oftwo blocks apart to makeroo-m for wooden nail anchoring strips or the like.

It is "thought that the foregoing description taken in connection with the accompanying drawings'will sufiiceto enable'persons skilled in the art to'whic'h the invention relates to obtain a clear understanding of the same. Therefore, a more lengthy description is deemed unnecessary.

Although I have shown and described the preferred embodiment of the invention, I wish it to be understood that any minor changes coming within the scope of the invention may be resorted to if desired.

I claim A building block of the kind described comprising a hollow pro-cast tile embodying duplicate inner and outer side walls, and duplicate end walls, internal intersecting vertical webs joined to the intermediate portions of the walls through the medium of reinforcing ribs, vertical T-shaped keyways formed in said walls at the outer ends of said webs, vertical channels formed in said end walls and-spaced from each other and from said side walls, the portions of said end walls between said channels being in the form of protuberances functioning as abutments, and the outer walls of said channels forming flanges, the latter being shorter in width than the thickness of said abntnients, whereby to terminate on planesspaced inwardly from the contacting surfaces of the abutments.

In testimony whereof I hereunto afii'x my signature.

VALSY E. ROWLAND. 

